The Grailed Renfrew!

Yes…. I present to you yet another Grail T-shirt from Vesta Patterns!  I should really just buy stock in Vesta Patterns.  Although, this one is slightly different….

Yes, I give you the Grailed Renfrew…. or Renfrewed Grail if you prefer.  I went straight up Frankenpattern on this and combined the cowl neck of the Renfrew with the body of the Grail.

I used the long-sleeved scoop neck Grail with the largest size of the cowl from the Renfrew pattern.  I unfortunately did not have enough fabric and ended up needing to piece the cowl neck.  It worked out though- I was able to hide the seams for the most part.  I used this post to help with figuring out the cowl… it was a tad confusing based solely on the pattern directions

On my last long-sleeve Grail the sleeves were just right.  I realize now that may have just been the super stable ponte talking, as this one ended up being just a tad too long.

Speaking of fabric….I’ve been hoarding this stuff for a few months now with the express intention of making a cowl t-shirt.  It’s freakin’ Bamboo Jersey!!  It’s super soft and drapey, with just a touch of sheen 🙂

It is, however, a slippery bitch!  She gave me a bit ‘o trouble more than once… so I would not recommend it as first time sewing with knits project
Of course that did not stop me from buying more for short-sleeve t-shirts!

This pose seems to be a requirement when you make a Refrew, so I didn’t want to disappoint 😉  You can also see were I had to piece the cowl neck.

Apologies for the indoors/oddly lit pictures.  This represents the third in my ‘Winter is Coming’ wardrobe… and well we are firmly in the throws of Summer- I did not want to go outside in long sleeves 😦

P.S. I busted out my wool Zinnia to give you the full Winter look 🙂

More Swaddling Blankets!

….Now with more swaddle!  Yes, one of co-workers is knocked up and I made swaddling blankets.  I had plans to do all sorts of other cool and interesting bebe projects, but then I realized between work and everything else that was not going to happen 😦

I thought I’d do this post as a tutorial of sorts…. although this is a super easy project!

What you’ll need:

1.5 yards cotton gauze (I used this and this)
Ruler
Fabric scissors
Iron
Sewing Machine
Matching Thread

1. Measure and cut your fabric approximately 46 x 46 inches…. I like to measure and mark with pins.   46 x 46 is what I did, you can obviously have a slightly smaller or larger blanket per your needs.

*No cats were harmed in the making of this blanket.

Since I was making two blankets, once I measured and cut the first one I used it as a template for the second.

2. Fold and press all corners down 1.5 inches towards the wrong side.

Make sure you’re precise.  I noticed if I was off even a little I ended up with less than perfect corners.

3. Snip the last 1/2 inch off from each corner

4.  Fold and press each side over by 1/2 inch.

Be sure to give a good hit with the iron so you get a nice crisp edge.

5. Fold each edge over again 1/2 inch and again giving it a good hit with the iron.

6.  Pin everything nice and neatly in place on the right side…. you should have some fairly neat corners.

(this isn’t probably the best example of “nice, neat corners”, but it’s what I like to call good enough for government work)

6.  Now you’re ready for sewing!  Top-stitch a line a 1/4 inch from the edge on the right side.

I don’t have a 1/4 inch line marker, so I always just line it up with the egde of my presser foot.

Be sure to turn and pivot at the corners!

7. Next stitch a second line a 1/4 inch in from your first line.

Again, I just use the edge of my press foot as my guide, this time lining it up with the original line of stitching.

And there you have it!

This is an incredibly easy project and would be great for any first-timers.  Here, as well, is the original tutorial I used for the mitered corners.  You can also see my first go around with the swaddling  blankets here.

Good luck!